Rates & sources
Compound growth assumes reinvested returns and no platform fees. Past performance is not a guide to future returns.
Source: FCA — Investment basics — figures refreshed at the start of each tax year.
When to use this calculator
- Before choosing between saving, investing, or increasing your monthly contribution.
- When you want to compare best-case, base-case, and cautious return assumptions.
- When you need a quick projection before making a longer-term portfolio decision.
- When you are deciding how many more years of contributions are needed to reach a specific target balance.
- When you want to see whether starting earlier versus contributing more each month produces a bigger outcome.
A realistic Australia planning example
Use these sample inputs as a quick scenario test, then change one variable at a time to compare outcomes.
Super Balance at Retirement (A$)
500000
Retirement Age
35
Annual Withdrawal (A$)
40000
Expected Annual Return (%)
5%
After entering these figures, review balance lasts until age, years super lasts and balance at age 80 together rather than in isolation — each metric tells a different part of the story. Then rerun the tool with one input adjusted to see which variable has the biggest effect on all three outputs before you settle on a plan.
How to read your results
Balance Lasts Until Age
Use this metric to compare scenarios side by side and understand how changes in the key inputs drive the final outcome. If the figure surprises you, isolate one variable at a time and rerun the calculation to identify which assumption is responsible.
Years Super Lasts
Use this metric to compare scenarios side by side and understand how changes in the key inputs drive the final outcome. If the figure surprises you, isolate one variable at a time and rerun the calculation to identify which assumption is responsible.
Balance at Age 80
Use this metric to compare scenarios side by side and understand how changes in the key inputs drive the final outcome. If the figure surprises you, isolate one variable at a time and rerun the calculation to identify which assumption is responsible.
Balance at Age 90
Use this metric to compare scenarios side by side and understand how changes in the key inputs drive the final outcome. If the figure surprises you, isolate one variable at a time and rerun the calculation to identify which assumption is responsible.
4% Safe Withdrawal Rate
Use this metric to compare scenarios side by side and understand how changes in the key inputs drive the final outcome. If the figure surprises you, isolate one variable at a time and rerun the calculation to identify which assumption is responsible.
Age Pension Supplement
Use this metric to compare scenarios side by side and understand how changes in the key inputs drive the final outcome. If the figure surprises you, isolate one variable at a time and rerun the calculation to identify which assumption is responsible.
Method & assumptionsAuthoritative sources
This calculator projects how long your superannuation account-based pension will last based on your starting balance, annual withdrawal amount, expected investment return, and inflation rate. Each year, the balance is grown by your chosen return rate and reduced by an inflation-adjusted withdrawal. The optional Age Pension figure of approximately $29,000 per year (2024/25 single rate) reduces the net drawdown from super, reflecting how government support can meaningfully extend a balance. The 4% safe withdrawal rate output is based on widely used retirement planning research suggesting that withdrawing 4% of your initial balance annually gives a high probability of your money lasting 30 years.
Important caveats: this model does not apply ATO minimum drawdown rates, which increase with age and may force higher withdrawals than you enter. Investment returns are not guaranteed — sequence-of-returns risk (poor returns early in retirement) can deplete a balance faster than averages suggest. The Age Pension figure used is approximate and does not account for the assets or income test taper. For personalised retirement planning, consult a licensed financial adviser and the MoneySmart retirement planner on the ASIC website.
Common mistakes
- !Assuming a constant return without checking a more conservative growth rate.
- !Forgetting to include ongoing contributions, fees, or tax wrappers where relevant.
- !Focusing only on the final balance instead of the path required to reach it.
- !Ignoring the drag of platform fees or fund charges, which can reduce the real compounded return significantly over ten or more years.
- !Comparing ISA and general investment account projections without adjusting for the tax treatment of interest, dividends, or capital gains.
What to do next
- Test a cautious, expected, and optimistic growth rate instead of relying on a single projection.
- Compare this result with related savings or retirement tools before committing more money.
- Use the linked guides to understand which assumptions matter most over longer periods.
- Consider running the same figures in an ISA and a general account scenario to see how the tax treatment changes the outcome over ten or more years.
- If the projected balance falls short of your target, use the tool to work backwards — increase the monthly contribution until the result meets your goal.
Frequently asked
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End-of-article next steps
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